American Medical Association Complete Medical Encyclopedia [Large Print]

This edition the AMA encyclopedia (2003) is fully based on its first edition (1989), so the review of the first applies to the second. The 1989 had better illustrations on the whole, but their editors often included inappropriate depictions for no apparent reasons. This irresponsibility carried over into discussions particularly concerning ethical issues, such as abortion (unfortunately, this is something we have come to expect from the medical industry). It is evident the editors had a very large axe to grind when discussing medically induced death therapy that is applied to our unborn citizens. There was neither a mature discussion of the particularly disastrous effect on our black communities through America's legalized and ongoing killing of babies; nor a serious review of the more than ample documentation concerning the Abortion-Breast Cancer (ABC) link, nor an assessment of the emotion scarring of the widespread Post Abortion Syndrome. Similarly, its discussion of sodomy inexplicably still utilized the discredited and criminally derived Kinsey report, and did not give adequate warning about the inherent dangers of that lifestyle. By overlooking these deficiencies, much good knowledge is available in the work. This new 2003 version includes significant and helpful updates since the 1989 publication.

The AMA Encyclopedia is invaluable. It's complete, detailed and well layed out. It's the best resource short of the internet. We used the old guide for years. The front section that allows you to go through an illness step-by-step is worth the cost alone. What a good investment in your health.

We are very pleased with this book. We have an older edition and are using quite regularly. My parents expressed interested so I bought the latest edition for them.

I have been using the 2 volume American Medical Association Home Medical Encyclopedia for several years and loved it. My only complaint was that it had been published in 1989, and a lot of things can change in the world of medicine in 2-3 years, let alone 10-12 years. So, I was very happy to see that a newer, one volume edition had been published. As was its predecessor, it is a very comprehensive resource, written in layman's terms, but not in a simplistic manner. Not only are medical conditions described in concise yet thorough detail, but symptoms and treatments are included as well. The only thing keeping my review from being 5 stars is that it has fewer photographs than the 1989 publication. In some instances, a drawing does fine, but in others, it is a poor substitute. For example, In the new edition, there is a drawing used to illustrate a goiter, and all you really see is some shading on the neck that gives no sense of the size or proportions of what a real goiter would be like. In the 1989 version, a photo of a person with a goiter clearly and accurately depicts the condition. I would not want the lack of photography to keep someone from acquiring the book, because it is an excellent resource. Whenever the next revision is done, however, the extensive use photograpy needs to be reincorporated.

My family has always relied on the old AMA Encyclopedia; this new edition is terrific. It has more definitions, even better illustrations and photos, and more practical information. I especially like the symptoms charts and the color section on the human body. With all the questionable health information on the Web, it's good to have all the basics in an up-to-date guide from a source you can trust.